It’s the Season to Be Jolly
Dating from the middle of the 16th century, Nürnberg’s Christkindlesmarkt is the most famous Christmas market in the world. Vendors sell ornaments, crafts, hot wine, and other goods under cloth and wood tents around the city’s market square. It draws each year more than 2 million visitors. Chicago’s Christmas holiday market is inspired by the Christkindlesmarkt.
A Treat for Every Season
Lebkuchen, German Christmas cookies similar to gingerbread, were invented by medieval monks in the 13th century near Nürnberg. Lebkuchen bakers were recorded as early as 1395. Nürnberg is today the world’s biggest Lebkuchen exporter.
The First Star Gazer
Albrecht Dürer, a famous German painter and woodcarver, was born in Nürnberg in 1471. In 1515 he mapped the stars of the northern and southern hemispheres, producing the first printed star charts. This house was Dürer’s residence for close to 20 years. It’s now a museum where the large painting and printing workshop from Dürer’s time lets you experience the life and work of the city’s greatest son.
The Maiden Voyage
Nürnberg is a pioneer in transportation. It is here that the first German train took to the tracks. On December 7, 1835, the steam-driven “Adler” started off from Nürnberg towards the neighboring city of Fürth. 173 years later the city’s U3 subway line became the first fully computer-automated and -driven metro in Germany.
Hitler’s Rise to Power
In the Third Reich, the Nazis chose Nürnberg to be the site of huge party conventions. The 1934 rally was filmed by Leni Riefenstahl. The documentary became one of the world’s best-known propaganda films. A number of buildings were specifically built for these assemblies and today many examples of Nazi architecture can still be seen in the city.
The Nuremberg Trials
Between 1945 and 1946, prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany were brought before an international tribunal in the Nuremberg Trials. In the first trial 22 of the most important captured leaders of Nazi Germany were tried, though several key architects of the war such as Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and Josef Goebbels had committed suicide before the trials began.
Wearing the Fruits of Conflict
Right after the war a small town 14 miles northwest of Nürnberg saw the birth of the modern sportswear industry. Two brothers had been making leather soccer shoes here since 1925. In 1948 the two quarreled and split up. Adolf (Adi) Dassler founded Adidas, Rudolf the rival company Puma. Even today little Herzogenaurach is still the headquarters of two of the world’s biggest sports companies.
The Club
The 1. FC Nürnberg, known locally as “Der Club”, is one of Germany’s most tradition-steeped soccer clubs and proud holder of nine championship titles. Der Club dominated German soccer in the 1920s but now plays second fiddle to Bavarian arch-rival Bayern München. The team plays in the EasyCredit Stadium, which was refurbished for the 2006 World Cup and accommodates 48,553 spectators.
Adoring Sandra
American actress Sandra Annette Bullock lived near Nürnberg until age 12. Her mother was a German opera singer and her grandfather a rocket scientist from Nürnberg. Bullock sang in the city's children's opera choir and frequently traveled with her mother on her opera tours. She is fluent in German.
Move over Beethoven
Nürnberg's musical life covers a very wide range. In the summer, the city hosts the Klassik Open Air festival and it is also home to “Rock im Park”, a huge music festival that attracts over 40,000 spectators from around the world. In past years, the likes of Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne and Bob Dylan have performed at the event.